poem for January 6 Cherry Cider I parked under a sterile pecan
in the lot of a broken wood gas station
that owned the intersection between Socorro and Carrizozo My right hand hurt from shifting
past sun cast spruce deer
lurch wandering
slow motion rain dance Two sweaty sugar boys teetered from my van
legs still dreaming
broke the air
ran into dust storm store
where truck men stood at plywood counter counting smoke money I followed
ricochet lizard steps
aching from three hundred sepia miles
under still sun too high to touch A pockmarked styrofoam cooler
filled with ice blocks and old plastic milk gallons
propped open the door in sweet welcome My oldest boy reached in to touch ice
rubbed blotch water hands across forehead
under piano hairline scar
marking the end of my marriage I chose a jug
counted quarters and nickels
under a stained Virgin of Guadalupe
tipped mouth to mine
let cool red rush
warm my hot tongue Near silence, no birds, just panting children
and slow exhale of torn-shirt man
back against bad stucco
eyes on me
my raspy van
the leaden horizon My boys sat on dented hood
shared red sips under sparse shade
and we watched a war torn dog
spray hot shadows against gold crust dirt
Cherry apple wine My car from the mouth lead bundles, gizzard shad trees to help stop the oil in the car dock
Hitch a hand flying deer clouds stream migration.
Still sub-meter, a souvenir shop, dust, aggression down my body, from the top half of the field, sweat, sugar, plastic sheets, empty cigarette cards
Step British Yoko brown lizard still feel hurt
Per gallon of ice blocks and potholed plastic, styrofoam cooler full of milk laying open the door to welcome sweet
Chi knot of marriage, friends, piano interpersonal hurt, water, trim, rub the head
Mellon Lu mountain in the first quarter of the United States himself under control cool red tongue probe hit me
The land of snow, but I mean, children torn shirt and pants, and half of the time by mistake to wipe Shen understand the attached guide not slow the phone
My son sitting sparse, their shadow war sand spray hot Caro, split color